It’s Back! Hugely Popular Lantern Festival Returns to Grand Rapids This Spring

A popular festival is back this year!

Grand Rapids is the only place in Michigan you can see these incredible works of art.

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Grand Rapids Lantern Festival at John Ball Zoo

2025 is the third year that John Ball Zoo is hosting the Grand Rapids Lantern Festival.

John Ball Zoo teams up with Tianyu Arts & Culture, Inc. on the festival. The Chinese lantern festival producer promotes conservation and sustainability - which John Ball Zoo says aligns with its mission:

These core values align with John Ball Zoo’s commitment to the conservation of wildlife and wild places, as well as providing fun, engaging and educational opportunities for guests. The lanterns are made through traditional lantern-making skills and come in many shapes and sizes, from animals, plants, insects and more.

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The Grand Rapids Lantern Festival is a one-mile light tour featuring handcrafted Asian lantern displays. They light up the zoo and tell the intersecting story of wildlife and Asian culture.

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John Ball Zoo says this year's festival will include new lanterns and interactive experiences! Performances include face changing, plate spinning, acrobatics, and more. According to WZZM-13, the theme for the festival this year is the rainforest. 

When is Grand Rapids Lantern Festival?

Grand Rapids Lantern Festival is April 9  through June 15, 2025.

The festival will run 7:30p.m. through 11:30 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday prior to May 20.

Starting May 20, the festival will run Tuesday through Sunday.

Tickets for Grand Rapids Lantern Festival

General admission tickets for Grand Rapids Lantern Festival are on sale to the general public here as of March 8.

John Ball Zoo members will get early access starting February 28.

Timed tickets are sold every 30 minutes. The last entry is at 10:30pm.

Keep in mind though, you can spend longer than half an hour at the festival! John Ball Zoo says,

Entry times are staggered to ensure an enjoyable guest experience. Once you’ve entered the event you can enjoy it at your own pace.

You are asked to arrive 15 minutes prior to ticket entry time.

Tuesday through Thursday ticket prices for general admission are $22 for non-members and $19 for members.

On Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, it's $26 for non-members and $23 for members.

There are also four packs of tickets you can buy. Kids two and under are free.